Local authorities in Nigeria have announced the discovery of a large-scale organ-trafficking ring following several weeks of secret monitoring.
In a statement posted on X, the stated that their probe began after receiving reports of a concerning series of abductions near and a mortuary in Ngor Okpala.
Police reports indicate that intelligence-driven inquiries led to the identification of High Chief Stanley Oparaugo—also known by the alias “Morocco”—as the alleged mastermind of the criminal group; he is currently at large and wanted, according to .
It is claimed that Oparaugo owns the Jessy Best Hotel in Ihitte Okwe and the adjacent Ugwudi mortuary.
Authorities stated that victims were reportedly enticed into the hotel before being and kidnapped, with their families coerced into paying ransoms.
Officials noted that some families who paid the ransom never saw their loved ones again.
The Command reported that abducted individuals were transported from the hotel to the mortuary, where they were purportedly murdered and their .
When law enforcement raided the Jessy Best Hotel, the premises were empty, but at the mortuary, they found .
Henry Okoye, a police spokesperson, confirmed that over 100 bodies were recovered.
“We inspected a hotel and a private mortuary belonging to the suspect—facilities believed to have been used by kidnappers and violent offenders,” he stated in a release.
“At the mortuary, decomposed and disfigured corpses were found in unsanitary conditions, raising suspicions of illegal organ-harvesting operations.”
He further mentioned that the suspect’s residence was searched, resulting in the seizure of “critical evidence,” and forensic teams are documenting findings for the ongoing investigation.
” along the Owerri–Aba Expressway. The Command reassures holiday travelers of its commitment to their safety,” he added.
Kidnappings and abductions are among the crimes on the rise in Nigeria.
As reported by Digital, local media outlets state that the Nigerian government also secured the release of the .
The children were abducted from St. Mary’s School in Papiri, Niger State, on November 21.
This news comes amid ongoing persecution of Christians in Nigeria, prompting President to declare the West African nation a “country of particular concern.”